Representatives of Monumental Art within the Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments (1960s–1970s)

Abstract

The article highlights the formation of the art section under the Republican Board of the Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments (UTOPiK). This section brought together such prominent figures as H. Dovzhenko, V. Zadorozhny, S. Kyrychenko, H. Korin, N. Kocherezhko, I. Lytovchenko, V. Pryadka, as well as famous graphic artists, decorators, painters, sculptors whose work gravitated to monumental form. Among them were F. Hlushchuk, I. Honchar, V. Lutsak, T. Lyashchuk, V. Kravchenko, S. Nechyporenko, V. Pashchenko, V. Perevalskyi, H. Sevruk, L. Semikina, V. Fedko, O. Fisun, A. Zaboy, and others. Despite the diversity of their individual artistic approaches, all of these artists shared a deep respect for national cultural heritage and were committed to its preservation, restoration, and popularization. The processes of democratization within Soviet society during the period of the so-called “thaw” opened broader opportunities for freedom of formal expression and for the public activity of artists, including engagement with human rights issues. This was particularly true for monumental and decorative art, which was less directly dependent on ideological control. During this period, monumental art developed intensively, achieved a new level of self-awareness, and exerted a significant influence on the stylistic evolution of other artistic practices in Ukraine. From this context, the universal “neo-avant-garde” orientation of monumental artists emerged, characterized by a focus on the reconstruction and improvement of life through artistic means and by active involvement in public initiatives. Tragically, many works that were rightly regarded as major achievements of Ukrainian art in the 1950s–1980s did not outlive their creators for long. Recent acts of vandalism have, in their blind and irrational hostility toward the past and its monuments, surpassed even their Bolshevik predecessors. In this sense, the ironic pun “monumental (or ‘momentary’) art” has proved to be disturbingly prophetic. Monumental artists made a decisive contribution to the renewal of themes and stylistic approaches in Ukrainian art of their time, while simultaneously playing an important role in the preservation of national historical and cultural heritage. For this reason, there is now a moral obligation to protect their creative legacy, which constitutes one of the most valuable achievements of national culture of the 20th century. The article is based on contemporary documents, notes and personal recollections of the author, who served as the academic secretary of the aforementioned section from 1968 to 1971.